Should RF Keep its Political Forums?

[PureX]

But rage is the problem.
I'm thinking of a forum where people who really
really want to insult, demonize, abuse, & look
down upon others can let off steam.

Note:
I know it's a bad idea.

Ah, you mean a conservative republican circle-jerk.

 

[Sunstone]

That is easily the dumbest manifestation of petit bourgeois avoidance that I've seen all day1
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... yes, I understand that it's only 10:43 AM. So what?​

Perhaps I am mistaken but it appears to me you are assuming a knowledge of my views and position that you do not actually possess. If so, what grounds can you offer for your assumption?

 

[Sunstone]

Are you proposing no more discussions of LGBT rights, abortion, immigration, religious freedom?

In what sense do you mean "proposing"? For instance, are you using "proposing" in the sense of "advocating"?

 

[SalixIncendium]

In what sense do you mean "proposing"?

Apparently asking a question.

Unless he somehow misinterpreted this as a suggestion for marriage.

 

[crossfire]

Discussing politics is actually part of my psychological practice. How else am I going to dredge up greed, hatred, and delusion from the depths of my psyche so they can be exposed so I can consciously work on it? Heated political debate is perfect for dredging up these poisons from the depths of my psyche!

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Ah, you mean a conservative republican circle-jerk.

From my experience, both Liberals and Conservatives can be abusive with those they disagree with. A unique thing of Liberals, however, is to make accusations that I'm Conservative and actually on the Right because I don't agree with much of Liberal ideology. Liberals will also tell me, in regards to race stuff, that I need to get out more, shouldn't watch black entertainment, and yet they've never had soul food and don't know what a sundown town is. And for as "diverse" as they claim to be, the average "jerkwad PC liberal" is white and at least middle-class or better, and they often don't venture too far outside of that (it was a point even valid when Malcolm X wrote). But I'm the racist because I don't buy into "white people" arguments and refuse to judge a person by their skin color.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

Ah, you mean a conservative republican circle-jerk.

*Tribalist circle jerk. There are conservatives and Republicans capable and willing to discuss issues in a polite and reasoned manner. There are liberals who aren't. "My side, right or wrong" types are the problem, regardless of where they fall on the political spectrum.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

*Tribalist circle jerk. There are conservatives and Republicans capable and willing to discuss issues in a polite and reasoned manner. There are liberals who aren't. "My side, right or wrong" types are the problem, regardless of where they fall on the political spectrum.

And they give everyone on their side a bad name, and everyone throughout the entire political spectrum is tired of them, had it with them, and wish they'd shut up.
It is comforting, however, that I rarely meet them in real life. But some people have gotten the idea that very loud, vocal, and obnoxious minorities that are poisoning the internet are frequently found in the real world lurking around the corners and in the shadows waiting to pounce people. Well, Capital Hill isn't a good indication, but politics have gotten so soap-opera and dramatic I"m having a hard time as accepting them as a "real world" thing.

 

[Curious George]

In what sense do you mean "proposing"? For instance, are you using "proposing" in the sense of "advocating"?

No. In the sense that you proposed getting rid of the political forums. In the senses that when someone proposes something they are bringing up an idea for consideration.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Discussing politics is actually part of my psychological practice. How else am I going to dredge up greed, hatred, and delusion from the depths of my psyche so they can be exposed so I can consciously work on it? Heated political debate is perfect for dredging up these poisons from the depths of my psyche!

While that I agree with that (and do it with many things in my life to myself searching for weaknesses and problems with my thoughts or positions), but at the same time it's not really good for discussion with human beings. I don't know how heated you let yourself get with yourself, but even for proper debate mine would be inappropriate and abusive. Anymore, here on RF there is scant difference between a discussion thread and a debate thread. And they often get ugly, personal, and uncalled for. Complaints of the mods doing little are almost as common. So with the mods being perceived to be lacking in attention and effort, it leads to more abusiveness. And it wasn't until recent that even started using the ignore feature here, because anymore there are lots of people you can't reason with. Everybody in the Right is the Devil, everybody in the Left is the Devil, this politician is vile and we have to look at everything he/she does under a microscope, this politician is the anti-christ and absolutely everything she/he says must be opposed even if we don't agree with it ideologically, and we must make threads about them daily/near daily putting them on blast because they interacted in the wrong way, with the wrong person, in the wrong location, at the wrong time, and oh my god how dare they say words!

 

[Shadow Wolf]

No. In the sense that you proposed getting rid of the political forums. In the senses that when someone proposes something they are bringing up an idea for consideration.

That's pretty far fetched. I'd have been executed as a very gruesome and violent serial killer years ago if my thoughts were anything I necessarily believed or would advocate after the thought fleets away. And sometimes doing so brings up some serious things for consideration and debate, and even if you don't agree with it there really aren't any ideas that aren't worth considering. Even things that are immoral, why shouldn't they be considered? How can you properly defend what you do believe if you haven't challenged it? How can you "believe it," rather than being a dogmatic nutcase, if you aren't open to questions and new ideas?

 

[crossfire]

While that I agree with that (and do it with many things in my life to myself searching for weaknesses and problems with my thoughts or positions), but at the same time it's not really good for discussion with human beings. I don't know how heated you let yourself get with yourself, but even for proper debate mine would be inappropriate and abusive. Anymore, here on RF there is scant difference between a discussion thread and a debate thread. And they often get ugly, personal, and uncalled for. Complaints of the mods doing little are almost as common. So with the mods being perceived to be lacking in attention and effort, it leads to more abusiveness. And it wasn't until recent that even started using the ignore feature here, because anymore there are lots of people you can't reason with. Everybody in the Right is the Devil, everybody in the Left is the Devil, this politician is vile and we have to look at everything he/she does under a microscope, this politician is the anti-christ and absolutely everything she/he says must be opposed even if we don't agree with it ideologically, and we must make threads about them daily/near daily putting them on blast because they interacted in the wrong way, with the wrong person, in the wrong location, at the wrong time, and oh my god how dare they say words!

Yeah, I'll have to admit that many are rather clumsy, ineloquent, and unskillful in their approach.

 

[Twilight Hue]

And yet we used to have an active and civilized member base without the political animosity. Discussing politics is fine. Making everything a few people do that make headlines into a thread is absurd.

Maybe, yet look how popular it is!

The difference between an active forum that attracts people and spectators , and a dead forum where folks just pass on by.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Yeah, I'll have to admit that most are rather clumsy, ineloquent, and unskillful in their approach.

Who is most in this case? "Real world" people who are tired of it, or "fake world" people who, I suspect, don't even make up a majority online but rather steal an extremely inordinate amount of the attention because that are highly obnoxious and everyone but them tends to agree. Or, it could just be the internet, and "real world" people aren't on it as much and just avoid and stay out of most of it. It's rather unfortunate, because if aliens are hovering over us, they're going to see the internet and TV/radio waves. They'll think we're far worse than we actually are. They're going to see America has absolutely no unity at all because of extreme partisanship and polarization, but that's the "fake world." Most Americans actually tend to agree on bunches of things. But odd things happen and the obnoxious vocal minorities don't just dominate the internet, they dominate elections. Of course there is a big cultural difference between places like California, the Bible Belt, and New England. But, even so, lots of people are fed up with Liberals bringing up identity and taking offense and Conservatives for bringing up identity and taking offense. They know "behaviors of the Left/Right" that send people like them one way or the other. But, perhaps because the internet is the new form of "ratings = money," these loud minorities are gaining increasing influence that Rupert Murdock couldn't dream of when he began Fox News. And though both parties irritate most "real people," they go one way or the other based on usual trends and concerns, even though the vocal minorities basically get to put their stamp of approval on a candidate before they get on the ballot we all vote on.

 

[crossfire]

Who is most in this case? "Real world" people who are tired of it, or "fake world" people who, I suspect, don't even make up a majority online but rather steal an extremely inordinate amount of the attention because that are highly obnoxious and everyone but them tends to agree. Or, it could just be the internet, and "real world" people aren't on it as much and just avoid and stay out of most of it. It's rather unfortunate, because if aliens are hovering over us, they're going to see the internet and TV/radio waves. They'll think we're far worse than we actually are. They're going to see America has absolutely no unity at all because of extreme partisanship and polarization, but that's the "fake world." Most Americans actually tend to agree on bunches of things. But odd things happen and the obnoxious vocal minorities don't just dominate the internet, they dominate elections. Of course there is a big cultural difference between places like California, the Bible Belt, and New England. But, even so, lots of people are fed up with Liberals bringing up identity and taking offense and Conservatives for bringing up identity and taking offense. They know "behaviors of the Left/Right" that send people like them one way or the other. But, perhaps because the internet is the new form of "ratings = money," these loud minorities are gaining increasing influence that Rupert Murdock couldn't dream of when he began Fox News. And though both parties irritate most "real people," they go one way or the other based on usual trends and concerns, even though the vocal minorities basically get to put their stamp of approval on a candidate before they get on the ballot we all vote on.

I'm talking about the "fake world" memetic scoffers.

 

[Twilight Hue]

And yet we used to have an active and civilized member base without the political animosity. Discussing politics is fine. Making everything a few people do that make headlines into a thread is absurd.

Well I'm sure you know all the sayings about religion and politics. ;O)

It's hard to separate the two, which is why there's probably a political forum in the first place.

I mean it's not like people can't still discuss religion based subjects. Just got to start cranking out those threads.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Maybe, yet look how popular it is!

So? This website used to start real life relationships and eventual marriages. People used to often and frequently befriend each other outside of the forum. Between chatrooms, online games, instant messaging, webcams, and even Christmas card exchanges, a few real life meetups, and even forming another forum after the first round of break downs this site went through, this forum was really just another way we interacted with each other. And people actually cared about each other. You could learn things about each other's views, and not expect them to be mocked and ridiculed. You could discuss the news and current events, and it not turn into a political bashing orgy.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Maybe, yet look how popular it is!

Look at how popular American Idol is, and how much more popular the winners are than the losers. Very typically the losers go further with a music career than the winners. So what? McDonalds is pretty popular, but it shouldn't be promoted as good.

 

[Revoltingest]

All the black pudding is mine though.

It's a deal !

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Some of us bought premium memberships so we don't have to look at adds. To me, it was money well spent.

What ads?